Removable head and seat needle valve



Oct. 24,1967 T. HOLTON REMOVABLE HEAD AND SEAT NEEDLE VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1964 FIGJ - 1.21%- I! y I L, xxxkw INVENTOR ROY T. HOLTON ATTORNEY Oct-24, 1967 R. T. HOLTON 3,348,571

REMOVABLE HEAD AND SEAT NEEDLE VALVE Filed Dec. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROY T. HOLTON ATTORNEY United States Patent REMOVABLE HEAD AND SEAT NEEDLE VALVE This invention relates to a valve. More particularly the invention is concerned with a readily replaceable valve for regulating and directing the flow of hot liquids.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective valve to control the flow of hot fluid or molten materials. Another object is to provide a valve having no stagnant areas, where a turbulent or slow velocity flow could occur. Another object is to provide a valve for handling-hot fluid or molten materials which is readily replaceable without cooling. These and other objects will become apparent in the course of the following specification and claim.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational cross section through lines 11 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation partly in section of one embodiment of the valve of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the valve shown in FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional elevation of alternative embodiment of the valve of the present invention.

The valve of the present invention consists of an assembly comprising (1) valve cup, (2) valve body, (3) valving means, (4) control means for the valving means. The valve cup is relatively permanently attached to intake and discharge lines for hot fluid or molten materials. In the preferred embodiment the cup is jacketed to provide contact with heat transfer fluids whereby a constant hot temperature can be maintained within the cup. Independent bores terminating in the'bottom of the cup connect the cup bottom with the intake and discharge lines respectively. The valve body is of an external shape designed to match the internal shape of the cup. In operation the valve body is removably mounted within the cup. This body provides a continuous passage, each end of which opens upon the surface of the valve body that matches the cup bottom, the passage ends being disposed opposite the internal termini of the intake and discharge bores within the cup when the body is mounted in the cup. Thus, this passage connects the termini of the intake and discharge bores in the cup bottom. An annular seating surface is provided in the valve body passage near one end of the passage and an access bore runs from the top of the said body, i.e. that surface of the valve body exposed when the body is mounted in the cup, to intercept the valve body passage thereby providing access to the annular seating surface. Valving means is slidably mounted in the access bore. Conveniently this means comprises a stem bearing a circumferential valve face surface near one end to provide an abutting face to the annular seating surface in the valve body passage. Control means are provided to change the relative position of the abutting face and seating surfaces. Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1 valve cup 1 having a cylindrically shaped well 2 is provided with intake bore 3 and discharge bore 4. Each of the intake and discharge bores are connected to external intake and discharge lines (not shown) and each has an independent terminal port in the bottom of well 2, the intake port being designated at 5 and the discharge port being designated at 6. A jacket 7 disposed around cup 1 provides a space 8 through which heat transfer fluid may be pumped by means not shown. Valve body 9 is removably mounted within Well 2 by means of bolts 10. Body 9 provides a continuous passage 11 disposed to connect intake port 5 with discharge port 6 when body 9 is situated within well 2. Gasket 12 attached to body 9 provides a fluid tight seal between the bottom of well 2 and the abutting face of body 9 thereby preventing leakage of fluid in its transfer through passage 11 from port 5 to port 6. Passage 11 is intercepted by an access bore 13 which permits introduction of valving means into passage 11 to thereby control and regulate passage of fluid from intake port 5 to discharge port 6. Conveniently this valving means is a stem 14 terminating in a plug 15 which presents a frustoconical valve face 16 to abut a matching frusto-conical valve seat 17, seat 17 being annularly disposed around passage 11 immediately adjacent to its abutting position with intake port 5. Stem 14 is slidably mounted in body 9- by means of yoke 18 which retains internally threaded yoke bushing 19 within which the threaded end 20 of stem 14 is held. A hexagonally shaped guide nut 21 is rigidly attached to stem 14 and acts to prevent turning of stem 14 on its longitudinal axes. A packing follower 22 removably mounted upon body 9 by means of bolts 23 retains packing 24 around stem 14. A retaining ring 25 and thrust washer 26 are used in the mounting of bushing 19.

FIGURE 2 is an external view partially in section, the sectioned illustration showing the attachment of gasket 12 to body 9 by means of recessed screws 27. Intake bore 3 in the valve shown extends completely through cup 1, discharge bore 4 removing as an off-stream part of the process stream flowing through bore 3. This view shows the mounting of yoke 18 by means of mounting bolts 28 which extend and are fastened into body 9, the latter being removably mounted within the well of cup 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the valve of FIG- URE 2 showing jacketed intake bore 3 with valve body 9 removably mounted to cup 1 by means of bolts 10. Packing follower 22 and yoke 18 are removably mounted by bolts 23 and 28 respectively to valve body 9. The end of stem 20 can be seen in the center of yoke bushing 19 along with retaining ring 25. FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of cup 1, demonstrating the use of the valve of the present invention in an in-line installation. In the embodiment shown well 2 has a land 29 around each of intake port 5 and discharge port 6. These lands assist in promoting a fluid seal between the bottom of well 2 and gasket 12 on the valve body when the valve body is mounted within well 2. Such a construction also avoids scoring of the bottom of well 2 by the heads of gasket screws 27.

Inoperation, fluid whose flow is to be diverted or controlled is introduced into intake bore 3. It reaches intake port 5 and, when the valve face 16 of plug 15 is sufficiently raised, it passes into valve body passage 11, thence through discharge port 6 and finally through discharge bore 4. Plug 15 is raised and lowered by a sliding action of stem 14 which is conveniently controlled by turning bushing 19 with a suitably shaped wrench. Hex nut 21 prevents turning of stem 14 as the internal threads of bushing 19 mesh with threads 20 of stem 14. The valve has particular utility in installations requiringt-he transport of molten fluids, due to its ease of replacement and to the features hereinafter described. From a consideration of the illustrations it will be obvious that all moving parts, i.e. body 9 and body members mounted thereon can be removed by removal of bolts 10, which are a distance from that portion of the valve which requires heating to maintain the transported liquid at a high temperature. The simple removal of these bolts permits the entire assemblage to be withdrawn rapidly and to bereplaced readily by a similar body assembly. Thu-s, the moving portions of the valve can be made available for maintenance and repair without cooling intake or exhaust lines. Furthermore, no connecting jump-lines for supplying heat transfer liquids need be connected or disconnected in the valve replacement operation. Preferably intake and discharge ports 5 and 6 are not concentrically situated in the bottom of well 2 to avoid alignment problems of these ports with passage 11. Stem 14 preferably terminates at its plug end in a stem extension which assists in keying passage 11 to intake port 5 during assemblage. Such a stem extension also acts to remove any solidified materials that might accumulate at intake port 5.

The design of the valve of the present invention provides that packing 24 is within the zone of heating of cup 1 thereby assuring freedom from freezing due to the accumulation of solidified product which may reach it by passage around stem 14. It will also be obvious that the design permit-s the independent withdrawal of stem 14 without other valve disassembly, the stem being wiped clean by contact with packing 24 in the heated area.

While the operation of the valve has been described in terms of interrupting the flow of fluid at the intake port of cup 1, it will be obvious that the flow of fluid being diverted or controlled can be reversed simply by reversing the hookup. It will further be obvious to those skilled in the art that the sliding motion of stem 14 can be controlled by means other than threaded bushing 19. For instance, stem 14 maybe connected directly through threads 20 to an automatic controller such as a I-Iammel-Dahl direct valve actuator. When sensing elements are placed in the stream to be controlled, signals resulting therefrom can be used to raise or lower stem 14 using an actuator, thus controlling the amount of fluid passing in the stream. While the invention has been specifically illustrated with reference to a sliding plug type valve, it will be obvious that the opening in passage 11 can be controlled through use of a gate valve, globe valve, needle valve, rotating plug or the like.

Many equivalent modifications of the above-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art Without a departure from the claimed concept.

What is claimed is:

A valve assembly comprising (1) a valve cup containing an intake bore and a discharge bore through its outer wall to provide external connections to intake and discharge lines, the intern-a1 termini of the said bores being in the cup bottom, the said valve cup having disposed therein (2) a valve body of external shape to match the internal shape of the said cup, the said valve body providing :a continuous passage, each end of the said passage opening upon the surface of the said body that matches the said cup bottom, the said passage ends being disposed opposite the said internal termini of the said intake and discharge bores, an annular seating surface in the said passage near one end of thelsaid passage and an-gularly disposed relative to said passage, an access bore providing access to the said seating surface from the valve body surface opposite that which matches the cup bottom, said valve body surface having flange portions thereon, releasable means cooperating with said valve cup structure to hold said valve body Within said cup, (3) a stem bearing a frustoconical valve surface to provide an abutting face to the said seating surface slideably mounted in said access bore, stem sealing means removably mounted within said access bore, (4) valve control means connected to said stern for operatively positioning said frustoconical valve surface relative to said annular seating surface, (5) jacket means operatively surrounding said valve cup through which heat transfer fluid can be pumped for heating said valve cup and associated apparatus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,0 3,915 12/ 1935 Connell 137-3 40 2,900,995 8/1959 Dickerson 137-340 3,003,519 10/1961 Horneyer 137--454.6

3,010,695 11/ 196 1 Banks 251205 3,192,944 7/1965 Nallinger 13734O X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,287,899 2/ 1962 France.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD W-EAKLEY, Examiner. 

